


A Kitten's Tale

by nerdzeword



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2015-01-15
Packaged: 2018-03-07 17:24:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3177623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdzeword/pseuds/nerdzeword
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Crookshanks was Draco's cat. And he would do anything to keep him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Kitten's Tale

**Author's Note:**

> I drew a picture of Draco holding a cat up to Lucius, my life kind of spiraled out of control after that. Enjoy!
> 
> (I don't own Harry Potter)

 

Draco watched the cat through the bars of it’s cage. If it could be called a cat. It was smaller than most, no bigger than his father’s palm, and fluffy enough to give even a human a hairball, with a squashed face and a long tail that moved in a lazy circle.

“Bit of an ugly thing aren’t you?” Draco asked it. The cat just eyed him warily, it’s striped fur shining in the reflection from the window. He stuck his finger in between the bars, and grinned when the snobbish cat tried to play with it.

“I suppose you’re all right though. Are you by chance part kneazle? They’re supposed to be smarter than normal cats, and it would explain your unfortunate face.” Draco informed it. The cat just seemed to shrug.

“Ah. That’ll be Crookshanks!” the man at the counter informed him. “Nice cat, if a bit on the ugly side.” Draco watched the cat hiss at the man’s insult with no small amount of delight. This cat was going to be his. He picked it up out of the cage.

“Father.” he announced, coming up beside the older Malfoy. “I want this one.” He declared.  It never even occurred to him that his father wouldn’t agree.

“Draco. I told you, you’re getting an owl. Now put that ugly abomination back!” Crookshanks hissed again and Draco pat him on the head sadly as he placed him back in the cage.

“Don’t worry Crooks. I’ll come back for you later. Promise.” The cat just gave a little meow.

 

The next year, Draco snuck eagerly back into the pet shop, looking around eagerly for the cat he still considered his own. When he saw him, Draco’s face broke into a grin. He ran over to the cat.

“Still okay there Crooks?” The cat only purred loudly. Draco picked up the now huge cat. “I wish I could take you home, but Father doesn’t like cats. And mother would have a fit. They’re not as progressive as I am I guess. Don’t worry though. One day I’ll get you out of here. Maybe I’ll have a friend buy you or something. I have to have friends for that though. All I have is Crabbe and Goyle, and I can hardly trust you with them can I?” He just meowed in agreement. Draco regretfully put the cat back down.

“I’ll see you next year buddy.”

 

Draco walked into the pet shop and looked around for his cat. instead his blood ran cold as he saw his three largest rivals standing around the desk where the owner sat.

“No one else wants him.” The owner was saying. Draco wanted to scream at the man. What did he mean no one wanted him, Draco wanted him. Crooks was his cat. His. Granger looked alarmed and immediately reached out to pick up the cat.

“I’ll buy him!” She announced.

“Hermione!” Potter and Weasley both exclaimed impatiently.

“Why would you want that ugly thing?” Crooks hissed at Ron and Draco smothered a grin. He frowned a little when the cat gave him a smug little wink.

“Maybe so, but he’s now my cat so stop insulting him!” Crooks settled himself into Grangers arms and began to purr. Draco let out a small sigh, Granger wasn’t the worst sort to end up with his cat he supposed. At least he knew she would take care of him. The threesome turned and left the shop, not even bothering to look his way.

“Sorry kid, but I had to sell him sometime.” The store owner told him.

  


It was another five years before Draco saw his cat again without Granger around to tell him off. Draco bent down and pet him behind the ears where he knew the cat’s soft spot to be. They were in the kitchens, Crooks for a midnight snack no doubt, and Draco for a mug of hot chocolate. With the war over and his father locked safely in Azkaban, Draco wondered if he could get away with stealing Crookshanks back from Granger. He asked the cat.

“Hey there Crooks. Good to see you’re taken care of. Think there’s any chance of Granger giving you up?” The cat just looked at him lazily.

“Eh. I thought not. Why’d you choose her anyway? You were supposed to be smart. Yes I know I couldn’t take you, my father would have killed you straight off. But really? Granger? You couldn’t have chosen someone I could manipulate into giving you to me?”

“Nice to know you think so highly of me.” Draco turned around to find Granger standing in the doorway.

“Oh it’s just you.” he turned back around. “You saw her coming didn’t you.” He accused the cat. Crooks just looked smug. “And you didn’t even warn me. I thought you were my friend. Traitor.”  Hermione looked amused.

“He likes you.” She stated.

“I should hope so since he’s my cat.”

“What are you talking about Malfoy?” He ignored her and continued talking to the cat.

“Isn’t that right Crookshanks. I chose you when you were little more than a kitten. I don’t know why you chose me. I called you just as many rude names as anyone else.” Crookshanks gave him a condescending look. “True. between the two of us, we do make a relatively normal person. I’m pretty on the outside and you’re… well you.” Crookshanks just purred.

“Do you talk to all animals like this?” Hermione asked him. He shrugged.

“Nah, just Crooks. He’s my only friend see.” Draco explained to his amused ex-enemy.

“Do you want more friends?” Hermione asked him curiously. He shrugged

“Wouldn’t hurt I suppose.” She smiled and stuck out her hand.

“Hello Draco, I’m Hermione Granger. Your new friend.” Draco looked at Crookshanks, who seemed to be waiting for him. He shrugged and took her hand.

 

“You know Granger?” He said, it was a few hours short of he and Hermione’s one year anniversary and Draco was laying on the floor of her apartment playing with Crookshanks, who was pretending to ignore him.

“Yes Draco.” she didn’t even look up from her book. Well that just wouldn’t do.

“I’ve decided something.” He said slowly. Crookshanks rolled his eyes and nudged Draco in the arm as if to tell him to get a move on. Hermione looked over at him.

“What’s that?”

“Well, I’ve done all the calculations and the only way I foresee ever getting my cat back is if I am married to his owner. So here.” He pulled a box from his pocket and tossed it at her. She caught it easily, and gasped when she saw the platinum band, inlaid with a dozen or so tiny diamonds.  

“Draco. Are you proposing to me?”

“...possibly. Just for your cat see. I’ve waited quite a long time to get to keep him you know.” Hermione climbed off the couch and crawled over to hover over Draco, who was barely containing his smirk.

“I see, and it has nothing to do with the fact that you’re totally and irrevocably in love with me?” she quoted his own words back at him.

“None whatsoever.” He replied, still holding his indifferent face.

“And it has nothing to do with the fact that I am terribly good at kissing you.” She leaned closer and his mask began to crack just a little. She carried on.

“And it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I’m your best friend in the whole wide world?” Her lips were hovering only centimeters above his own now. He flipped her over on to her back.

“Fine. You win. It has to do with all of those things.”She grinned and he kissed her lightly.

“In that case, I accept your generous proposal.” He grinned back at her and kissed her again. Crookshanks looked on approvingly from the sidelines at the young couple.

“Oh and I lied.”Draco quipped minutes later. ”Crookshanks is my best friend.”

 


End file.
